Half-seen things

[puddleshark]

Followed the path beside the River Frome down to Swineham, through the reedbeds, where the breeze sets the whole landscape in motion, and you walk in a world of half-seen things and unseen things. The rattle of dragonfly flight, and a glint of sunlight on wings. The endless pent-up grumbling ("And another thing...") song of Reed Warblers. A black-capped Reed Bunting clinging to a reed as it sways back and forth in the wind - now you see it, now you don't.




Water Dropwort along the path from Bestwall.




Things half-seen 1: Be distracted by the pretty grasses, and miss the spider's web.




Things half-seen 2: A Reed Warbler in a sea of reeds.




Things half-seen 3: Damselflies among the rushes. Flickers of blue at the corners of your vision, and a blur of wings.


Meadows at Swineham. Standing erect among the rushes and the tall grass, the Marsh Thistles on sentry duty.


Cattle crush among the rushes.


A spider hoping perhaps to catch a cow.


Following the path along the edge of the meadows. The path is is a little damp in places, but the meadows are a whole lot damper. Terrific bursts of wrensong issuing from the woods. Found myself wondering how it is that the tinest of birds evolved a song powerful enough to knock over a frail individual? (And how embarrassing would it be to end up carted to A&E, and when the nurse asked you the cause of the fall, having to reply, "A wren knocked me over...").

Headed back to Wareham along the quiet shaded lane, and, by West Walls, took the narrow footpath between high hedges that runs beside the allotments and the rugby pitch. Back at Bestwall, there was a selection of plants set out in the driveway of one of the bungalows, with a little notice inviting people to give a donation to a local charity. I left some money in the honesty box and acquired a gaura. I love the butterfly-like flowers of gaura. Now I will have to wait and see what colour it is!

***

Not a very successful morning for photography. I should have taken the zoom lens with me. Even though the auto-focus is playing up, I still might have managed some better close-ups of birds and damselflies. Oh, well. Maybe next time...

Comments

[heleninwales]

The wind makes plant photography difficult, but it was a nice glimpse of all the interesting things you saw on the walk.

[puddleshark]

Thanks!

I had originally planned to visit some gardens today, but seeing how windy it was this morning, I decided it was not a day for flower photography!